Happy As A Clam

You might remember that, when we were on the Ile d'Oléron in May, the fishermen were on strike. That really put a damper on our food plans for the week.

Lavagnons freshly steamed.

At least we thought it might. But we learned something interesting. Only the fisherman were on strike, not the people who raise oysters and dig for clams along the beaches. Consequently, oysters and clams were plentiful, and we ate our share.

The finished dish. Lunch is served!

I had a real hankerin' for linguini with clam sauce, one of my favorite dishes. I figured that someone would have clams of one variety or another like praires or amandes. What I found was a vendor in La Cotinière who sold something she called lavagnons. They're a local clam that is about the same size as a praire or an amande. I bought a bunch.

We steamed them in white wine with shallots and garlic and served them in a big bowl of spaghetti. They were amazingly delicious.